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The Complete History of ACC Realignment

Conference realignment isn't a new phenomenon and Athlon Sports will prove it to you.

Did you know that Georgia Tech has won three more SEC championships (five) than South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt combined? Or that the Gamecocks were a founding member of the ACC? Or that Grinnell College spent 10 years competing with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Missouri and Kansas in the Big 8?

The point is that conference realignment isn't a new phenomenon. In fact, it's been ongoing for over 100 years of collegiate athletic competition. However, the rapid speed with which changes happen these days is tied directly to the exponential growth in revenue these sports can provide. It has impacted virtually every program in the nation at one time or another, and the ACC is certainly not immune to change.

Current commish John Swofford had to be proactive as of late with rumors swirling for the better part of two years about potential ACC poaching from other leagues. It turns out, he was right to be concerned as at least one of the league's founding members is departing for greener pastures. That said, the ACC responded swiftly to solidify its place in the college football hierarchy. And it took some unique strategies to stabilize it's long-term future.

1953: After losing a multitude of members to the SEC in 1932, the once massive (23 member) Southern Conference loses eight key members to the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The SoCon had a league-wide ban on postseason play and this is why many believe the ACC got started to begin with. Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina and, a few months later, Virginia became the charter members.

1971: South Carolina decided to leave for independence and would later join the SEC in 1991.

1978: After only containing seven teams for most of the 70s, Georgia Tech left the Metro Conference for the greener pastures of the ACC.

1991: Also from the Metro Conference, Florida State’s decision to join the ACC might have been the most important maneuver in ACC history. The Noles went on to dominate the league for the first decade and it played in the first three BCS National Championship games (1998-2000). The 1999 title is the league’s only BCS National Championship.

2004: Miami and Virginia Tech both officially joined in the summer of 2004. Adding the two football powers gave the ACC two more viable national championship football programs to package with FSU.

2005: Boston College comes aboard the next year, giving the ACC 12 teams and the opportunity to split the conference into two divisions and host a title game. After taking the Canes, Hokies and Eagles, the Big East countered with expansion of its own and is still on life support to this day.

2011: In an effort to get out in front of the curve, John Swofford continued to stabilize his league by adding two more Big East powers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh, to the group. The ACC technically expanded to 14 before any other major BCS league.

2012: Founding member Maryland became the first such ACC program to jump ship in the modern rounds of realignment. The Terrapins wanted more league stability and a much bigger payday and got both in a move to the Big Ten. The Terps will begin play in the Big Ten in 2014. To counter the loss of Maryland, Swofford moved quickly to find a replacement and settled on Louisville. The Cardinals will play in the American Athletic Conference before joining the ACC in 2014.

2013: In a shrewd legal move by the conference, the ACC signed a "Grant of Rights" deal locking in ownership of media rights for all member institutions. This is a simple but effective way to keep teams from leaving the ACC in the short term. From now until the end of the GOR contract (2027), if a school leaves the league, the ACC will retain the media rights, effectively rendering the move to another league fairly pointless. Additionally, Syracue and Pittsburgh will make their debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

2014: At this time next year, Maryland will officially become a member of the Big Ten while Louisville will be become an official member of the ACC. Notre Dame will also play five games a year against ACC foes beginning in 2014.